halo's Profile
Highly rated Ethnic Asian dining establishments in NYC
jungsik? korean? i wouldn't categorize jungsik as a korean restaurant. 80% of their menu is western dishes. just because Daniel has pasta on their menu it's not italian.
and if you haven't been to jungsik why do you think it's better than danji? i've been to both as have many of my friends. not a single one thinks jungsik is even in the same league as danji when it comes to authentic korean flavors.
bcd used msg. a lot of msg. i got hives all 5 times i ate there.
Highly rated Ethnic Asian dining establishments in NYC
i've been to enough and i think it's the best. it's the only chef owned korean restaurant i know of in the country. it is the only restaurant that uses Korean made "jangs" which in Korean food is where all the flavor comes from. i bet you can't name a better place...
Highly rated Ethnic Asian dining establishments in NYC
Danji is the only Korean in the country with a Michelin star.
It is also tiny. The waits can be long because prices are very reasonable while quality extremely high.
Not many people know about it since they don't do much pr but it's the best Korean food in the country. Extremely authentic flavors.
One day too late to score a table at EMP, where should I take my wife for her b-day?
great point kosmose. i do not believe it was a copy of any restaurant just because it is a technique used by many. however, the chef at jungsik claims this technique is unique only at his restaurant as if he invented the technique (his staff tells the patrons) and i believe this is very dishonest. maybe this kind of practice can fly in seoul where european style fine dining is still a relatively new concept, i do not believe it will work here. many diners in nyc are well traveled and have dined everywhere so they'll see the dishes at jungsik as what it really is. imitations.
One day too late to score a table at EMP, where should I take my wife for her b-day?
sorry for hijacking this thread. enjoy the meal at daniel and please let them know you're celebrating a birthday as they'll usually make the experience a little more "special."
their foie torchon and their duck/foie terrine were both incredible last time i went. also enjoyed their "new" version of the old daniel classic black bass with potato and leeks. the beef duo at daniel has inspired many other chefs and restaurants but they do it best there...
One day too late to score a table at EMP, where should I take my wife for her b-day?
the snapper dish has been done at masa and as well as many japanese restaurants where they either sautee or deep fry the fish with the scales on so it pops up and creates a light flaky texture. this is my point. the chef claims his ideas are unique and his creations but i've seen that technique used in japan many many times far longer than this chef ever started cooking. 3 years ago at my one and only meal at masa this same technique was utilized.
the emp grid menu was copied by jungsik only here in nyc. my korean dining companion had been to the jungsik in korea last year and said they did not have the same menu.
if you look at akelerre's cook book they have and EXACT replica of this "spoonable" dish. the book was printed over 3 years ago. the chef at jungsik staged at akelerre it seems so i guess that's where he first saw the dish.
i just feel that this jungsik chef visited all these restaurants all over the world and is trying to pass off many of the great chefs' dishes as his own. this is NOT what i expect from a reputable chef of any cuisine. EVERY single dish at jungsik is a ripoff from another chef's authentic creation. if they want to do this then they should admit that the inspiration was from another restaurant or another chef and not claim it was the chef's unique inspiration... i have never been to a restaurant that reminded me of one of those stands that sells cheap imitation knockoff handbags but jungsik gave me exactly that same feeling.
One day too late to score a table at EMP, where should I take my wife for her b-day?
you're right. inspiration and copying are 2 different things. my observation was that jungsik dishes were flat out copies. the plating looked so eerily similar that it was comical. for may who have never been to emp, akelerre, arzak, i can see why they think it's a very fine restaurant. for me, having been to the aforementioned places recently i know pretty much this jungsik chef doesn't have a single creative dish on his entire menu. my korean dining partner agreed that even the korean dishes are not original. it is ok for a young chef to be inspired by great chefs and to use that inspiration to come up with new dishes but it is NOT ok to rip off all of your dishes from other chefs and pretend they're your own. not when EVERY SINGLE dish is a copy... maybe this chef has no respect for intellectual property as do many in certain asian countries but it is still an embarrassment to the industry that he's able to get away with it and prosper... shame!
One day too late to score a table at EMP, where should I take my wife for her b-day?
Jungsik was an utter disappointment. What a farce. Emperor's new clothes!!!
Their menu should have clued me in to the rest of my meal. It is an exact copy in design to EMP's. Who copies menu designs anyway???
Other imitation dishes included the "scoopable salad" which is an exact copy of akelerre of spain. another was the truffle chicken which bouley did a few years back. the pea garnish is emp again in their newst cook book. on and on everything was just an imitation of better restaurants and chefs all over the world.
my conclusion was this chef has absolutely zero creativity and just travels and copies dishes he likes. WHAT A FARCE!!! i was so irritated by the entree course that i asked if the chef was in to ask him where his inspirations came from and of course the server said he is currently traveling in europe. to copy more dishes, i thought to my self.
anyway, i really wanted to like this place since i think korean cuisine deserves better than 32st has to offer and i hate waiting in line at danji but jungsik is nothing but an embarrassment to the whole industry. reminds me of chinese knockoff purses being sold on the streets. oh how i miss chanterelle...
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Jung Sik
2 Harrison St, New York, NY 10013
Best sushi in Manhattan
thanks for the report. cancelled my resv for tonight. 15 east had a spot!
Looking for a good quality not break the bank meal near the TIme Warner Center
Danji - well worth the 6 block walk... although, i the the 30 minute waits for a table...
Best sushi in Manhattan
"Shinbashi continues to get mentionrd on Japanese boards as a place to bring American colleagues for lunch."
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Best sushi in Manhattan
in this day of age all top sushi places have the same suppliers. apollo for tuna. true world for almost everything else. for me it's not about the freshness or even choices of fish but many little things that makes it a truly great sushi restrnt. the rice is for me most important. the seasoning, temperature, ratio, all play such a huge factor in bringing out the true flavor of the fish. also the quality of soy sauce that is brushed on by the sushi chef makes a big difference. i can go on and on but i'm gonna try shinbashi later this week and i hope it's good...
sushi of gari east vs west
the 46th st location has better ambiance and the omakase at the bar is almost as good as the ues location. ues omakase is indeed better...
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Sushi of Gari 46
347 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036
Best sushi in Manhattan
my list:
1. masa (absurdly expensive. go when someone else pays-$600)
2. kuruma (too expensive. go when someone else pays-$300)
3. 15 east (expensive. special occasions-$250)
4. ushiwakamaru (expensive. splurge once in a while$200)
5. sushi of gari ues (expensive. special occasions-$250)
6. yasuda (less expensive. once a month-$170)
7. 1 or 8 (less expensive. once a month-$150)
(cost is based on omakase at the sushi bar until full with a medium priced sake)
Suggestions for dinner pre-opera
i second picholine. upon losing his 2nd michelin star tb has really stepped it up in the kitchen. the kitchen is putting out some really impressive food. the service is still lacking but the wine people have it right!
Interesting, not expensive food in midtown (hole-in-the-wall = ok)
i would also like to add totto ramen to the list. while you're there you should also check out danji, best korean restaurant in the country!
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Totto Ramen
366 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Danji
346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Danji's bulgogi sliders... WOW!!!
I heard the whelk salad is very similar to the lunch spicy noodle dish which I absolutely love. There's no whelk in the noodles but it has bacon, kimchi, and sliced brisket. The sablefish sounds amazing in this weather. I'll be a group of 4 so how many dishes should we order? And are there other recommendations? Do they have dessert?
Danji's bulgogi sliders... WOW!!!
Went for lunch today and I still can't stop thinking about these... Does anyone know if their dinner version is same or if they change it up a little bit. I noticed the dinner menu overall seems much more adventurous. Anyone been both lunch and dinner and can compare? What other items on the dinner menu is worth ordering?
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Danji
346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Jungsik is now open!
why call it bibimbap then??? this is not a korean restaurant. it is a western restaurant that happens to be owned by a korean who uses korean words on the menu and adds a few korean ingredients on the menu.
just like chang this guy does not represent korean food at all.
Jungsik is now open!
i don't believe it is accurate to call jungsik a contemporary korean restaurant. it is a FUSION restaurant at best. the menu has a few korean ingredients but 75% of ingredients and methods are western. a few korean ingredients here and there while giving it korean names does NOT a korean restaurant make. it is like calling Per Se a japanese restaurant because it has kobe, shiso, and mizuna on the menu.
korean food in ny is relatively bad in quality compared to la or korea. so why do we need an upscale korean restaurant when we do not have a really good moderately priced one? seems like jungsik is jumping the gun a bit. show us korean food with real authentic flavors with quality ingredients FIRST...
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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
Blowfish/Fugu in NY?
i think fugu is illegal in the US so restaurants usually don't have it on the menu. i know masa and kanoyama serve it in their omakases.
Recent Marea experiences?
heard from a friend's recent dinner there the portions are still on the larger size and the 4 course pf will end feeling stuffed. howver the food is very good with the uni lardo crost, crab uni spaghetti, octopus marrow pasta being the best dishes...
i'm going on fri and will post soon.
Top 5 Most Overrated in Manhattan
daniel, jean-georges, peter luger, le bernardin, and babbo. wow. these were the top 5 restaurants in nyc for the past 10-15 years minus per se. mind telling us what restaurants you DO like?
Dare I ask, is Per Se really worth the cost?
i disagree about emp. compared to per se it is definitely 2 notches below. if money's not a real issue as the op mentions then emp and per se do not belong in the same sentence. i'd put jg and daniel in between them as well.
Le Bernardin or Per Se
BMW or a Bentley?
all kidding aside those 2 restaurants don't belong in the same league. per se is better than LB in every category including seafood. if $ is not a big concern i'd go to per se EVERY time over any other french/american restaurant in ny.
looking for - wine bar with private room for 15 people
bar boulud has 3 private rooms in the cellar flr. the smallest one might fit your bill.
I'm tired of overthinking this... I need advice!
with all due respect sparks hasn't served a decent steak since the '90's. and if you're recommending spice market i can see why you'd love morimoto. i think you're more into the sceney type of places rather thatn restaurants that are known purely for their food...
Koreatown tofu and noodles
for tofu it would be BCD tofu house. my fave is the pork tofu soup. their seafood soup isn't bad either.
as for noodles you need to specify what kind of noodl dish you're talking about. if it's naengmyun you're pretty much out of luck since nowhere in ktown does it any good. kalgooksoo is awesome at arirang.
I'm tired of overthinking this... I need advice!
morimoto is horrible unless you sit at the omakase table which will run you over $200/pp. and being from vancouver i'd skip japanese food. vancouver does it so much better.
with your itinerary, i'd do fri nite dinner at strip house. order the ribeye, creamed spinach, and potato romanoff. best piece of steak in manhattan and more consistant than luger's.
What about Kefi restaurant?
kefi's great. casual atmosphere. the meatballs are fantastic. i never order chicken at restaurants as an entree but kefi's i order almost every time. sweetbreads are excellent as well.
